


Holiday Hearts

by RavensMind



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22183126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavensMind/pseuds/RavensMind
Summary: Christmas has come for the Titans and with it, holiday joy. Three couples struggle to get the perfect gift for each other, but Cyborg and Starfire think they found the best presents of all.  Happy Holidays!
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Raven, Garfield Logan/Tara Markov, Koriand'r/Victor Stone
Kudos: 9





	Holiday Hearts

~RavensMind~

Holiday Hearts

Lights twinkled, the snowmen were out in force, and every tree in Jump City was coated in sparkling ornaments. Naturally, the Titans weren't wasting the winter fun inside. If snowballs were dollars, the team threw away a grand over the last week, or at least it felt that way. The team had spent a good chunk of the weekend shopping for Christmas presents. It was a nice break from fending off criminals, who didn't seem to care that it was the holiday season, if anything they took advantage. Inconsiderate and rude, so Starfire put it. She had been bouncier than usual, running around and decorating every inch of the tower. It was endearing, but it also got in the way here and there. For example, she underestimated the size of a banner and covered an entire wall in the hallways with it, completely obscuring Beast Boy's room. He opened his door and sleepily walked into it one morning. Starfire had also taken advantage when Raven was reading out in the living room to slip away and decorate her dark room. Raven was not pleased. They would let it go, though.

An excited Starfire was rarely deterred and doing so wouldn't necessarily yield the best results. Robin could usually reign her in, but Cyborg had the best chance of keeping her somewhat contained, one of his many abilities as her boyfriend. Their friends were surprised when Cyborg and Starfire started dating.

A lot of surprises happened within a year or so. One day, Terra showed up on their doorstep, asking for forgiveness and to offer help as a Titan again. She readjusted pretty well, got a better handle on her powers, and rekindled her relationship with Beast Boy. The next shock was when Robin and Starfire broke up. To say it was messy would be a massive understatement. Not long after things settled down, another bombshell dropped. Robin started going out with Raven. If Starfire bared any ill will toward the pair, she didn't show it. Her support and joy for Raven overshadowed any bitterness she had for Robin. He also took her new relationship with Cyborg well.

It seemed like everyone had paired off at once. So, here they were, all preparing for their first Christmas with their new relationships. For Cyborg, this meant spending an ungodly amount of time in his room, building gifts for his friends, He had Starfire's present all ready to go, well, both of them. The first was a special feeder for Slikie, which refilled with the special alien food Starfire had been giving him, as no feeder existed to accommodate the oddity. It would be like shoving a load of laundry through a keyhole, not exactly feasible. The other gift was more personal and he couldn't wait to see her reaction when she opened it. No one deserved better. He bent down to adjust a screw with his wrench, when a knock at the door took him out of what Beast Boy started calling his 'build mode.'

"Yeah? Who's there?" Cyborg asked through the door, quickly covering his work on the feeder.

"It's me," Raven said simply.

"Perfect timing!" Cyborg exclaimed as he got up and let her in.

"I found what you asked for," she said, holding out a small black box in her pale palm.

"Booyah! You're the best, Rae. Outta curiosity, where'd ya get it?" he asked.

"Nowhere I'd recommend visiting without an oxygen tank," she replied.

"Did it take you a while?"

"Not as long as I thought, Blackfire hid it in an obvious place."

"Gotta say, I figured she'd be smarter."

"Since when do smart criminals end up in an intergalactic prison?"

"Yeah," Cyborg said with a laugh, "well I hope she never gets out, as badly as I'd wanna to blast her back into space if we see her again."

"It's unlikely. So...where's my favor?"

"Hidden in the garage, ready to be installed! Hope Robin likes it."

"Since the old one broke, I'm sure he'll be pleased with this one."

"You gettin' him any other presents?"

"A couple things. One of them he'll open in private."

"Secret identity stuff or...kinky stuff?" he asked with a snicker.

Raven's face flushed scarlet in a flash, but she maintained her stoic demeanor.

"It's just something for his um, utility belt," she said.

"Uh huh, sure. Well, ya'll have fun with it."

"Speaking of, I better go drag him away from the evidence room, we're late for the book signing. I hope Starfire likes her present."

"Me too, thanks Rae!"

When Raven left, Cyborg put the box on his work table beside the incomplete feeder and set to wrapping the gift. He was sure Starfire would love it, but still had his doubts. After all, the gift did come with a bad memory, but maybe it wouldn't matter if he was the one giving it. He knew what trouble Raven had gone to in order to get it and didn't want that to have been a waste. It wasn't often she offered these favors. All the same, he couldn't stop worrying about it. He set the gift aside and decided to put the thought aside, as he had to finish working on her other present. He wouldn't make the mistake Robin had one christmas, where he took Starfire to a fancy restaurant that she had said once before she didn't like, acted rudely, and got her a gawdy dress that didn't fit. Cyborg hoped he learned that lesson, if he did something similar for Raven, he wasn't sure that would go over well.

Making things for his friends was personal and he wanted Starfire's present to be the best of them. The happy alien went out of her way to try to make everyone happy, and she deserved the best he could give her. More than that, he wanted to see her smile so wide that it would go past her ears. The thought made him laugh. He'd seen that only once before when he took her to a massive theme park near Metropolis for their second date. The amount of stuffed animals she'd won and he hauled home with her was ridiculous, but they both had a blast.

Once he finished building the feeder, he boxed it. After he wrapped both presents, and signed the tags, he carried them out to the common room. Beast Boy greeted him happily, running up and shoving a game in his face.

"DUDE! Check out what Terra got me!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"Uhh, it's not Christmas yet?" Cyborg said confusedly.

"I know, she gave it to me early so we can all play on Christmas Eve, but look at it, d'you see what it is?" Beast Boy asked.

Cyborg took a moment to look over the cover on the box and his eyes nearly burst out of their sockets.

"SHE GOT GUNLORDS THREE?! How the hell? It ain't out for another month!" Cyborg exclaimed.

"RIGHT? Some dude at a game shop owed her for saving his butt when we were fighting some of Slade's goons," Beast Boy explained.

"We gotta play it!"

"Can't yet. She wants us to wait 'till Christmas Eve."

"WHAT?! Then why'd ya get my hopes up like that? Now I'm gonna be dying for days to play!"

"Just look forward to it, dude."

Cyborg grumbled and walked over to the large Christmas tree the team had decorated off to the left of their giant tv screen. It stood like a behemoth, decorated with a store's worth of ornaments, lights, and garland. Beast Boy followed him with the game in his hands, taunting him with it as they walked. Setting the presents down, Cyborg surveyed the piles of gifts. In addition to the team's gifts for each other, there were at least a couple dozen from the city, fans, and the other Titans around the globe. While not all could make the trip to spend the holiday together, they still sent each other gifts. Starfire had started this by shipping off a truck's worth of gifts to the honorary Titans and Titans East a few years back.

A rumbling stomach made Cyborg turn from the presents and Beast Boy to the kitchen. Time for a lunch buffet, Cyborg thought.

"About to start cooking, better run for cover, 'cause I'm making everything we got!" Cyborg warned Beast Boy.

"Don't forget the tofu, dude," Beast Boy said.

"Hmmm, not sure if I remember where my tofu recipes went. Might have to go hungry, BB," Cyborg teased.

"Very funny," Beast Boy said.

"Better than your jokes," Cyborg muttered.

"What'd you say?"

"Nothin'. Let's get started."

RrrrrrrRRRRRRrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Soaring from store to store, Starfire hummed Christmas songs happily as she searched for an amazing present for Cyborg. She'd saved his for last so that she could relax as she looked, not having to worry about finding things for the others. While she knew what he liked, it was hard to shop for him, as he usually built everything he wanted or needed. Shopping for tech was like she was storm chasing, never sure where she should be to find the latest phenomenon. That being the case, she had brought Terra along with her, as she seemed more aware of what was current with games and the like. She came to enjoy forms of entertainment such as these the more time she spent on Earth among humans. She had been playing a lot with Cyborg, getting better over time. Now she was good enough to beat Beast Boy, but she had a harder time besting Robin or Cyborg. It was fun regardless, as her friends were always there to make things more enjoyable.

"Oh, shall we enter this store and see if they have a new instrument Cyborg could use to improve the T car?" Starfire asked excitedly as they passed a hardware store.

"I uh, think he has enough stuff for that, but I don't know for sure," Terra replied.

"Perhaps you are correct. I wish I could find something he would love that he does not have," Starfire said.

"We'll find something! Why don't we try GameOn? They should have something cool for the holidays," Terra suggested.

"That is a good idea, let us go," Starfire agreed.

The girls took off down the street and navigated through the city to the popular game retailer. They passed major traffic jams that had been caused by the snowplows that were doing their best to keep the roads clear. Snow coated the pavement and piled up on the corners. Both girls were bundled up from head to toe and still managed to shiver from the cold. They quickly dashed into the store when they found it. Grateful for the heat, they took a moment to warm up and look around. Kids and parents were everywhere, looking all over the new releases for the best games. Starfire's eyes scanned the room for something unlike anything else, something fun and exciting. Nothing immediately caught her eye, but she couldn't tell what was current and what had just been released.

Terra led her around the shop, describing things as Starfire asked about them. It was clear that Terra knew Beast Boy's interests very well and struggled a bit when it came to Robin or Cyborg. Raven rarely if ever showed interest in games, but had apparently tried a couple times. Starfire was developing her own taste in games, thanks to Cyborg. She loved playing new things with him. Mostly she liked racing games or party games, anything that was fun with friends. She knew Cyborg favored fighting games, but had a clear, specific taste in racing games. He'd mentioned something about a new game that wasn't on GameStation yet, then she had a sudden idea.

"Is there something other than GameStation that can play games?" Starfire asked.

"What? Oh, yeah, there's a couple! Actually, I think there's a new thing, let's check out the consoles," Terra replied.

They moved through the cramped throngs of people to the back of the store, where the pricey consoles sat on display in locked glass cases. Terra explained what each was and how they were different until they came across one that she hadn't seen or touched before. Starfire examined it and tried to figure out what it was. Terra peeked at it over her shoulder and read for a bit before she discerned what it was.

"Oh! That's the new virtual reality console, the Core, it's supposed to be really immersive, it looked cool on the dev stream," Terra said.

"I believe Cyborg would enjoy this, what do you think?" Starfire asked.

"Definitely, I know Beast Boy has been dying to check out VR," Terra replied.

"Then this is the one I shall get Cyborg!" Starfire said.

"Man, Beast Boy's gonna be so jealous," Terra said, "we should get a couple games and controllers for it, too."

Starfire and Terra grabbed a few games and took them to the cash register, asking for the new console as well. The clerk boxed and gift-wrapped everything. The console was the most expensive gift that Starfire had purchased that season, but she didn't care, any price tag was worth it for Cyborg. He may know how to build every gift, but Starfire shopped like no one else - relentlessly, and thoughtfully. Starfire and Terra carried the gifts out of the store and flew them back to the tower, looking down on the wintery city landscape below. Virtually everything glittered with snow, the sunlight illuminating the right points on the ground. The river had frozen over and Titans Tower stood as a monument of snow. It was regretful that it had gotten so cold, as it would be fun to play in the snow again that evening.

As the girls carried their boxed gifts into the tower, they nearly bumped into Robin, who was carrying a few wrapped gifts of his own.

"Sorry!" Terra apologized, adjusting her hold on what she carried.

"It's okay, didn't hurt anything," Robin said.

"Whatcha got there?" Terra asked.

"Some things for Raven, found one of 'em while we were at the book signing," he replied.

"Last minute shopping, huh?" Terra asked.

"Could say the same for you two," he said with a chuckle.

"Totally," she said.

"What is a book signing?" Starfire asked.

"It's when an author comes to a bookstore and personally signs their books for their readers and fans. One of Raven's favorites came to the bookstore she loves," he replied.

"Sounds pretty lucky for her," Terra said.

"Yeah, it was, she even got to talk to the author for a while afterwards," he said.

"Cool! Ya know, that sounds a little too lucky," Terra said, "did you do that for her?"

"Maybe she was just really lucky," he said.

"Not buying it," Terra said.

"...Look, just don't say anything to her, I'm gonna tell her later when I give her these," he said, holding up the gifts.

"You clearly put a lot of thought into that," Starfire said with a frown, recalling his poor gift for her.

"Yeah, I didn't want to make mistakes like that again," he said, deducing the reason for her frown, "I think you'll like your present too."

"We shall see, but I hope so," Starfire said, her frown still plain on her face.

"What do you two have?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Some things for Cyborg," Terra replied.

"Nice, looks like quite a bit, I hope he likes them," he said.

"I know he will," Starfire said, "I hope Raven enjoys hers as well."

An awkward silence fell and Terra looked between Robin and Starfire. While their break up had been devastating to her, Starfire still looked back on their relationship with happiness. They had their particularly bad moments together, but most of them had been good. It had been a sequence of awful moments near the end that had finished them as a couple. Watching Robin with Raven had been difficult for a while at first, but it seemed as though they were the perfect match, and she couldn't fault her friends for finding joy in their lives.

"Soooo, let's get these under the tree, or next to it," Terra suggested, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, let's go," Robin agreed.

The three of them carried their gifts into the common room and added them to the obnoxiously large piles of presents by the tree. With only a few days left until Christmas, they wouldn't have long to wait before they got to open everything. Starfire hoped she'd chosen the right presents for everyone. She was so caught up in her hopes for her friends that she all but forgot to wonder what she would get from them. It really didn't matter, she just wanted to see everyone happy. Still, part of her was dying to see what Cyborg had gotten for her. For now, she'd have to be content to wait.

RRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrr

Christmas day didn't arrive fast enough. Beast Boy was out in the living room at the break of dawn and Cyborg joined him soon after. They'd have to wait for the others before they could start opening their presents, of course. Both eyed the gifts, trying to scope out which ones were theirs. It wasn't easy, given the amount of presents. He wished they had been organized in some way. He at least knew where the gifts he had made were, as they all had the same wrapping paper. Beast Boy was examining a present for him like he it had a bomb in it, carefully turning it over slowly and barely lifting it off the floor. Cyborg was surprised the others weren't up yet, usually he and Beast Boy were the last ones to wake up.

"Hey, BB. Where's Terra?" Cyborg asked.

"Huh? Oh, she was getting up to shower before I came out here. Where's Star?" Beast Boy asked.

"Not sure. Ya know, unlike the rest of y'all, we don't share the same bed every night. Too soon for that," Cyborg replied.

"Too soon? Dude, I love sleeping with Terra...err, well, I do, but I meant sleeping sleeping, not...Whatever. Anyway, I can't sleep alone anymore, it's too nice. You should be sleeping with Star," Beast Boy said.

"I appreciate the advice, but I'm trying to do this right. After her break up with gel-head, I figure I'd go slow, seems like it's what she needs," Cyborg said, "I wanna do everything with her, but I ain't rushing."

"Guess that makes sense. Still, you're missing out! Ask Robin, I know he and Raven are together every night. Why'd you think they always come out to the living room at the same time?" Beast Boy asked.

"I noticed, but it's their decision, and you don't need to be sticking that green-ass nose of yours into their business," Cyborg replied.

"Trust me, I don't wanna know, but it's hard not to see things, ya know?" Beast Boy asked.

"Since when do you notice things that aren't attached to the tube?"

"Very funny."

"Star and Terra would laugh at it, betcha Robin would too, oh and Raven always loves my digs at you."

"Okay, you made your point, jeez."

"Anyway, I hope we can play GunLords again later, last night was awesome!"

"RIGHT? Dude, I was up for like an hour looking for the best tips."

"See, I don't need tips, I just kick your ass naturally."

"Me, maybe. Pretty sure Robin wiped the floor with you."

"The dude got a few lucky shots, alright?"

"Not what I saw," Beast Boy teased.

"Yeah, yeah. What do ya say we go wake up the others? I wanna get started so we can play sooner, it'll take hours to open all these," Cyborg said.

"Good call," Beast Boy said.

They were about to head for the door when it opened, as if on cue. Robin and Raven walked in, each carrying their own mug. As always, the coffee junkie and tea queen would get their fixes before doing anything else, so they went into the kitchen after a brief 'hello'. Typical. Raven was never much for enthusiasm and Robin was dead before his first cup of coffee. Quite the contrast to his Starfire. It still felt weird, his Starfire. Cyborg doubted he'd ever get over that and he hoped he never did.

His thoughts were interrupted as Beast Boy rushed past him, saying he'd go check on Terra if Cyborg wanted to see to Starfire. Like he needed to be told. He left the common room just as Robin started talking to Raven about making breakfast. Cyborg smiled at that, he had been coaching Raven on her cooking skills, and had encouraged her to start making things for special occasions. Nobody died from eating one of her pancakes now, though Beast Boy came close, but that was because Raven had made breakfast sandwiches with them and he'd chomped on one before she finished saying they had sausage in them. He spat it across the room in disgust and demanded a vegetarian option. Starfire asked for hers to be drowned in mustard and horse-radish of all things. Never ceased to amaze him, at least.

He knocked on Starfire's door and was greeted almost instantly as the fully dressed, happy alien swiftly opened her door and smiled joyfully. She swept him into a constricting hug of epic strength and kissed him.

"Merriest of Christmases to you, Cyborg! I have been awaiting this morning with great glee! I believe I found you a great present!" Starfire said.

"I bet you did, but I don't need it, I've got you, don't I?" Cyborg asked.

Starfire blushed and kissed him again, nearly crushing him in another embrace. He returned the kiss while trying to draw breath. He was used to her unbridled affections, by now he could compensate and endure whatever she threw at him. He anticipated it and braced himself beforehand. Her shows of emotion could be their own force of nature.

"You most certainly do! Let us go join our friends, I do not wish to keep them waiting any longer!" Starfire said.

"You got it, gonna bring Silkie?" Cyborg asked.

"No, his stomach appears to not be well, he needs to rest," she replied.

"Anything we can do?"

"He shall recover, it is not serious, thank you, though."

"You doing okay?"

"Of course! Why should I be otherwise?"

"Seemed kinda down yesterday after you got back with Terra, something happen?"

"No-well...we ran into Robin in the hall and we spoke. He...got Raven a very thoughtful gift...I could not help but recall what he gave me last year."

"Yeah, he was an ass, but that's over now, I got you something that'll make you forget all about it."

"I wish that could be the case, but I do not think I shall forget his thoughtlessness."

"Gimme a chance, you'll see."

"I cannot wait!"

The pair returned to the living room where the rest of the team gathered around the tree. As soon as Beast Boy spotted Cyborg and Starfire, he hopped up and swiftly started collecting his presents from the piles. Robin handed a few presents to Raven as he looked for his own. Terra gave a couple to Starfire as she sat next to Raven. Cyborg stopped short and went back for the remote, turning on the stereo and putting on some holiday music. Steaming mugs of hot chocolate with toasted marshmallows were on a tray beside Raven and after everyone had sorted their presents, she passed the tray around and said that nobody could start opening presents until they had finished their drinks. Cyborg had suspected that she did that to torture Beast Boy, but when he asked her later, she told him it was to give them a relaxing moment to enjoy together, and torturing Beast Boy was an unintended bonus.

Soon enough, everyone finished their cocoa and dived into their gift piles. Wrapping paper littered the room in a matter of minutes. More cries of joy than disappointment were made, marking the holiday as a success in progress. At the end, the couples exchanged gifts with each other. Beast Boy and Terra went first, trying to open them at the same time as their friends watched. Cyborg and Robin looked on enviously as Beast Boy excitedly showed off the collector's edition of his favorite racing game.

"DUDE! This one's got the BEST DLC, ALL the cars, AND an exclusive driver!" Beast Boy boasted, practically shoving it in Cyborg's face.

"Great pick, Terra," Robin complimented.

"Thanks!" Terra said, "wasn't easy to find, it was crazy expensive, most of those are like ten times the price online, too."

"Uhh, outta curiosity, were there any other copies you found?" Cyborg asked.

"Nope. Last one in a used game shop," she replied.

"Well, shit," Cyborg said.

"Don't worry, dudes, I'll let ya play it, if you're nice to me," Beast Boy said.

"Sooo I can avoid you trying to make me play it if I'm not nice to you, noted," Raven said.

"Hey, that's not what I-," Beast Boy started.

"Oh! I have gotten very good at that game, I shall challenge you later, Beast Boy!" Starfire said.

"Really? That's awesome! Sure, Star, we can play later," Beast Boy said.

"What'd you get Terra?" Cyborg asked.

The conversation paused as Terra opened Beast Boy's present. She held up a pair of tickets to a concert for her favorite band with a beaming smile. She also underlined the best part on the tickets where it said: Row 1.

"Damn, that's cool!" Cyborg said.

"Yeah, I've been DYING to see em for like a year, but they haven't been to Jump before this tour," Terra said.

"Don't think I've heard any of their songs," Robin said.

"They're great! I'll show you a few later," Terra said.

"Are their lyrics dark?" Raven asked.

"Some," Terra replied.

"We must listen to this band later!" Starfire said.

"Alright, it's a deal," Terra said with a chuckle.

"Blast it while we're racing!" Beast Boy suggested.

Terra kissed Beast Boy and he returned it happily. They exchanged a couple more presents that got more compliments from their friends and they both liked what they got, though Terra was concerned when Beast Boy presented her with a pass to an adult film festival, but it turned out that 'adult' just meant that kids weren't allowed and had nothing to do with anything lewd. The others laughed and the conversation faded.

Next, Robin and Raven exchanged gifts. Raven opened one of hers and stared at the contents of the box for a few moments before sharing it with the others. Four books from her favorite author sat inside.

"These...aren't supposed to be released for another year. I love them, but how did you get them?" Raven asked Robin.

"You know how you said that the author hadn't been to Jump for a signing before?" Robin asked.

"Yes, she lives out in Gotham and-. Wait, did you get her to come here for that signing?" Raven asked.

"Maybe," he replied.

"And you got her to give me advance copies of her books?" she asked.

"Maybe," he said with a grin.

"Well, if you did, I love you," she said with a small smile.

"I love you too," he said, leaning over and kissing her.

"Wait, how'd you do it?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah, some big shot author doesn't owe you a favor," Beast Boy said.

"No, 'I' didn't do it, I asked a friend, and trust me, we haven't been on good terms. I did it for Raven," Robin said.

"Oh, wait, you asked Batman for a favor?" Terra asked.

"Like I said, it was for Raven," Robin replied.

"That must have been...difficult for you," Starfire said.

"Yeah. It was," Robin said.

Silence followed, and remained until Terra asked Robin what Raven had gotten him. Robin opened the gift in his lap and looked it over for a few moments, then grinned at Raven.

"The designs for a new stereo for my R-cycle, I'm guessing you got Cyborg to build it for me?" Robin asked Raven.

"Yes. I even helped. It's ready to be installed for the next time you ride," Raven replied.

"You are the best," Robin said, passing the design around for the others to see, "and thanks Cy, it looks awesome."

"Don't mention it, man, I know what it's like when you can't get your tunes on the road. How'd yours break again?" Cyborg asked.

"Oh, I remember! Johnny Rancid shot it! After we chased him down for robbing that bank!" Beast Boy said.

"Right, him. That guy's such a douchebag," Terra said.

"No doubt," Cyborg said.

"I have heard that term before, but what exactly is a 'douchebag'?" Starfire asked.

An embarrassed silence fell and Beast Boy tried his best not to bust out laughing.

"We'll uh, talk later, Star," Terra said.

"Oh, very well," Starfire said.

"It's gonna be an awesome stereo, Rob," Beast Boy said, changing the subject and passing the design back to his leader.

"Yeah, it looks amazing," Robin said.

"Robin, I did get you one more present," Raven said.

"Oh, really? Where is it?" Robin asked.

"I'll um...give it to you later," Raven replied.

"Why can't you give it to me now?" he asked.

With a heavy sigh, Raven pinched the bridge of her nose and then gave him a look that said more than any explanation she could give in front of their friends that they might buy.

"Oh. Uh, I'm sure it'll be awesome?" he said as his face burned red out of embarrassment.

"Dude, now I can't unsee what I just pictured that Raven got for him. Not gonna be able to sleep tonight," Beast Boy said.

"Neither will he," Cyborg said with a snicker.

"Shut. Up," Raven said with a groan, still pinching the bridge of her nose as her cheeks briefly reddened.

"I do not understand, what is it that Raven has gotten Robin that we cannot view?" Starfire asked.

"It's something private, Star," Cyborg said.

"As in secret? Or exclusive?" Starfire asked.

"Sure, something like that," Terra said, "it's between them."

"I believe I can handle whatever it is you are all discussing, please tell me," Starfire said.

"It's an intimate gift, Starfire, something a lover would give to their lover," Raven explained as her face burned redder.

"Oh! I think I understand. Yes, please, do not tell us what you have gifted him," Starfire said as she blushed herself out of awkward embarrassment for having pushed the topic.

"I, uh, think we can move on. Cyborg, what'd you get Star?" Robin asked.

Both eager to move on, and to see what she got, Starfire quickly opened the first big present in front of her. After looking it over for a few moments, she was puzzled. It was not something she could identify. While she wasn't from earth and a lot was still new to her, this didn't look like anything she had really seen before.

"What is it?" Starfire asked.

"It's a feeder for Silkie, built it myself! SInce you can't use any automatic feeder we got on earth for him, I made him one, now he can get his food without our help," Cyborg explained.

"Oh! This is WONDERFUL! I am so pleased that I may feed him more efficiently, my little glorbkha will love it!" Starfire said happily.

"You like it?" Cyborg asked.

"Most definitely!" she replied.

"That's a neat idea, Cyborg," Terra said.

"Maybe now he won't try and steal my tofu," Beast Boy said.

"Even Silkie doesn't like tofu," Raven said.

"It's not that bad," Beast Boy said.

"Silkie shall enjoy his food as he pleases with this!" Starfire said.

"It's pretty cool, Cyborg. What did Star get you?" Robin asked.

Cyborg unwrapped the huge present beside him, little by little. As it was getting unveiled, his eyes got larger as he started seeing what it was that he was unwrapping. He stayed quiet until he had completely unwrapped his present and let the others look before he said anything. Robin and Beast Boy may as well have drooled at the sight of it. Raven looked intrigued, but had little reaction. Terra and Starfire were watching Cyborg for his reaction.

"Damn...This...THIS. IS THE BEST THING I've ever gotten for Christmas! Been wanting to try VR for a while now, GameStation is getting old, but this is the real deal, the new tech!" Cyborg exclaimed.

"You like it?" Starfire asked.

"Yeah, I love it, it's awesome, Star!" Cyborg replied.

"Dude. We gotta play it. Like, now," Beast Boy said.

"We're not finished opening presents yet," Robin said regretfully.

"Just one more..and it's Cyborg's gift to Starfire," Raven said.

Starfire picked up the small box and carefully unwrapped it. Cyborg's eyes were fixed on hers and he wasn't going to blink until he got her full reaction. Her fingers closed around the box as she pulled it from the wrapping paper and slowly lifted the lid off of it. Her face was pure awe and disbelief, a perfect smile spread over her face. She lifted the small gem from the box and showed her friends.

"A centauri moon diamond!" Terra exclaimed.

"Woah...wait, didn't Blackfire have one?" Beast Boy asked.

"It was returned to the moon she stole it from," Robin replied, "where did this one come from?"

"Space," Raven said.

"Huh?" Robin asked.

"Cyborg told me that Blackfire hid it on an asteroid near earth's orbit," Raven said.

"It's more beautiful than my sister's, oh I never imagined I'd ever receive one of these," Starfire said as she turned it over in her palm.

"You like it?" Cyborg asked.

"It is the most beautiful thing I have ever received, but not because of its appearance, it is because you gave it to me. I shall cherish it always!" Starfire replied, then took a breath and said, "I love you."

That hit him like the force of a typhoon, leaving a euphoric rush of affection that broke over him in waves upon waves, as it was the first time she had said it to him. His smile for once was larger than hers and he closed the distance, sweeping her into his arms.

"I love you too," he said.

They kissed in front of the tree, their friends, the snowy city they watched over, and the piles of cherished gifts on the floor.

Holidays in Titans Tower would never be the same again, for it seemed like nothing could top the new love that had seized their hearts.

The End


End file.
